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Punting a Scion FR-S from New York to Vegas: Car Guy Nation's modded neo-86 makes a nearly-transcontinental trek

November 11, 2012

1 of 6L-R: Roger Garbow, Allan Greenfied and Steve Jardine pose during the trip's launch event at Johnstons Scion in New Hampton, NY.

Photo by Roger Garbow

2 of 6Respect is due. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Photo by Roger Garbow

3 of 6Roger (left) and Allan on the track at Indy.

Photo by Roger Garbow

4 of 6The boys had little fondness for the remarkable flatness of Kansas.

Photo by Roger Garbow

5 of 6Unintentional Desmond Dekker in Middle America. The checkerboard pedestal adds a hint of ska to the proceedings. Also, old Cadillacs are totally ska. And the Scion's two-tone wrap makes us want to skank.

Photo by Roger Garbow

6 of 6Donut Chef Matt Farah put the FR-S through its paces at Spring Mountain.

Photo by Roger Garbow

Some of us (your author included) took a roundabout trip to SEMA this year. Rather than jetting off to McCarran International Airport, we decided to see the country on our way to the often tasteless celebration of gewgawry, doohickery and a love of torqued, tweaked and otherwise-massaged vehicles.

Our old pal Roger Garbow and his partner Allan Greenfield of Car Guy Nation decided that, while this year's show would undoubtedly be brimming with modified examples of the FR-S/BRZ twins, they'd make their Scion stand out by actually driving it across the country from New York to Las Vegas.

The lightly worked Subieyota features TSW wheels, Eibach springs, Vredestein tires and a roof box that Garbow complained made wind noise nigh unbearable at speed. Toyota and Fuji Heavy Industries may have baked practicality into the car's design, but without additional storage, it wasn't quite practical enough for two businessmen on their way to a convention.

Along the way, they stopped at Scion dealers to show off the car, resplendent in a Fujiwara Tofu Shop-reminiscent black-and-white wrap. Starting in New Hampton, N.Y., they split for Cincinnati, then the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to pay their respects at one of the world's holy temples of speed. From Indy, they headed to Colorado, but a spot of nasty weather forced a 300-mile detour to Pahrump, Nev., where they met up with television/web personality Matt Farah for a comparison of their modded Scion with a stock model at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch before putting it on display at the show.

Unfortunately, the SEMA Show officials put the kibosh on their plan to display the car covered in 3,000 miles of road grime, stipulating that dirty vehicles were against the rules. Having exhibited at the event in a previous life, your author can assure you that the SEMA Show has lots and lots and lots of rules.

Despite the cargo box's noisiness, Garbow seemed pleased with the car's performance overall, didn't find himself beat up by the car's decreased sidewall height and increased spring rates, and was generally thrilled with the whole experience. But with an eye toward his family's well-being in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, he was catching that night's redeye back to the East Coast. After 3,000 miles on the road, the FR-S was heading back home on a truck.